By Regan Tam
A scientist, an athlete, an artist, a student—Ivan Tse is many things.
Ivan joined the Collingwood community in Grade 8; before that, he attended an international school in Hong Kong, where he was born. Since coming to Collingwood, the only art courses he’s taken have been Visual Art 8 and Senior Art Level 2. Despite this, nothing has stopped him from creating beautiful, thoughtful pieces in his spare time.
Outside of school, Ivan enjoys playing badminton, watching anime, and reading manga. The latter two have a significant influence on his artistic style, as he finds that both traditional and pop culture style Japanese art inspires his own.
At his previous school, art was a mandatory subject. Ivan credits this with giving him much of the technical knowledge that he still uses today. It built the foundation for his development as an artist, as he could find out the styles, mediums, and techniques he enjoyed using. Aside from that, Ivan feels that the Senior Art class he took this year was also one of his favourite artistic courses—Ivan loved the freedom of expression that the course gave him.
Ivan savours the process of creating each piece—at times painstaking, at times freeing, it gives him the chance to think critically and creatively. Deciding on a medium to use is another of his favourite parts because “there are a variety of different possibilities and combinations [in art].”
The ability to exercise his versatility over various mediums aside, Ivan particularly enjoys Katsushika Hosukai’s work, a Japanese artist best known for his work, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Kanagawa’s art is both compelling and aesthetically pleasing; thus, these are aspects that Ivan works into his pieces.
“Art has allowed me to express myself in ways I typically would not be able to, which has allowed me to enjoy my time over the years of my life much more than if I were not to do art.”
Ivan loves the liberation of the artistic experience. The idea of being able to express his own emotions and personality to the viewer is something that draws him greatly towards the visual arts. He doesn’t plan to pursue a career in the arts: instead, he’s going to the University of Toronto for Pre-Med in the fall. Ivan hopes to continue creating art as a pastime in the future.
“There is not such a thing as bad art, as art is meant to be interpreted by those who view it.”
To Ivan, the crucial part of development as an artist is practicing and not giving up. Through hard work and perseverance, anyone can greatly enhance their artistic talents. In terms of the most important thing about art as a whole, Ivan feels that having fun, and creating something you love and are proud of, should be something to keep in mind constantly.
Many thanks to Ivan Tse for his contributions to this article.
A scientist, an athlete, an artist, a student—Ivan Tse is many things.
Ivan joined the Collingwood community in Grade 8; before that, he attended an international school in Hong Kong, where he was born. Since coming to Collingwood, the only art courses he’s taken have been Visual Art 8 and Senior Art Level 2. Despite this, nothing has stopped him from creating beautiful, thoughtful pieces in his spare time.
Outside of school, Ivan enjoys playing badminton, watching anime, and reading manga. The latter two have a significant influence on his artistic style, as he finds that both traditional and pop culture style Japanese art inspires his own.
At his previous school, art was a mandatory subject. Ivan credits this with giving him much of the technical knowledge that he still uses today. It built the foundation for his development as an artist, as he could find out the styles, mediums, and techniques he enjoyed using. Aside from that, Ivan feels that the Senior Art class he took this year was also one of his favourite artistic courses—Ivan loved the freedom of expression that the course gave him.
Ivan savours the process of creating each piece—at times painstaking, at times freeing, it gives him the chance to think critically and creatively. Deciding on a medium to use is another of his favourite parts because “there are a variety of different possibilities and combinations [in art].”
The ability to exercise his versatility over various mediums aside, Ivan particularly enjoys Katsushika Hosukai’s work, a Japanese artist best known for his work, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Kanagawa’s art is both compelling and aesthetically pleasing; thus, these are aspects that Ivan works into his pieces.
“Art has allowed me to express myself in ways I typically would not be able to, which has allowed me to enjoy my time over the years of my life much more than if I were not to do art.”
Ivan loves the liberation of the artistic experience. The idea of being able to express his own emotions and personality to the viewer is something that draws him greatly towards the visual arts. He doesn’t plan to pursue a career in the arts: instead, he’s going to the University of Toronto for Pre-Med in the fall. Ivan hopes to continue creating art as a pastime in the future.
“There is not such a thing as bad art, as art is meant to be interpreted by those who view it.”
To Ivan, the crucial part of development as an artist is practicing and not giving up. Through hard work and perseverance, anyone can greatly enhance their artistic talents. In terms of the most important thing about art as a whole, Ivan feels that having fun, and creating something you love and are proud of, should be something to keep in mind constantly.
Many thanks to Ivan Tse for his contributions to this article.